MTG Salvation

Quote from Phuncz

I don't know if it has been done yet but I made the two flash photographs of a projector screen a little clearer, use them if you like for the topic/speculation:

Much obliged the set symbol still isn't clear. Also find it weird how jarad alternative art looks pretty much like his normal art except facing left while Niv looks very different from his normal art in RTR. Also pity Niv doesnt have any cool flavor text

So, we have elves, merfolk, goblins confirmed. Tribal subtheme? A bit ridiculous blue got master of the pearl trident leading into a block with merfolk (so blue gets standard legal best lord ever, of course).

Quote from Landrid

Also pity Niv doesnt have any cool flavor text

Agree with you... the original has maybe the best flavor text EVER.

Didn't Maro say that returning guild leaders would get new cards? That's the same, old Niv-Miz (not that I'm particularly complaining.)

Quote from necrogenesis

Shocks won't be promos. Rosewater's been telling how they pick promos on his tumblr and from what he's said, Shocks aren't something they'd choose. I'm guessing Legendary guild leaders.

Like Maro has never mislead the Magic community before.

Really can't wait for this. I missed Ravnica the first time around. Pumped about the new mechanics, new guild leaders and new prerelease!

Quote from Wombattitude

I'm quite a new player (2 years), and i can't find a ravnica timeline, does any one have a link for that, or at least could tell me how many years (decades ?) passes since Ravina ? (imeline wise) ?

Cyril

Here.

That'll give some basic info, you can easily surf that very same wiki for more elaborate info.

Quote from JaceTheWalletShredder

REALLY? Every prerelease I have been to at my LGS is populated with about 80% regulars and 20% newbies.

Most of the guys who go are just itching to get their hands on the new cards. Prerelease is the first place to do so.

So....I am sure your mileage may vary, but where we play, prereleases are for ALL players.

Sorry, I should have clarified.
Prereleases are low REL tournaments, and WoTC sees them as 'entry point' events for most players. They want to make them as attractive as possible to new players, and have been tweaking things here and there to accomplish that.
I didn't mean "prereleases are tournaments only new players go to", though there are MANY more new players at prereleases than any other magic events.

Quote from bocephus

Like Maro has never mislead the Magic community before.

Ummm...
#stuffMTGSpostersbelieve

Quote from murielwasser

Lieutenants, more likely, since they've sworn off Mythic promos.

Right. That's what I meant but didn't type it correctly. But then, after thinking about it, I started wondering if the promos would be legendary at all. Seems like there is a lot of potential for mirror matches this pre-release. With so many duplicate cards, the Legend rule might come into play and that doesn't seem too fun.

Quote from bocephus

Like Maro has never mislead the Magic community before.

In this case, I really don't think he was. The discussion wasn't about shock lands or Ravnica in particular, but about pre-release promo cards in general. Here are a couple things he said:

Be aware that we want players attending the prerelease because they want to be at the prelrelease, not just because they want the card.

http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/25664062865/i-was-wondering-if-you-knew-how-the-pre-release-promo

My point was that our goal is to entice players with the prerelease itself not with the prerelease card. We want the card to be a nice addition but not the sole motivation for coming.

http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/25769582291/i-think-you-are-not-completely-right-about-players

Shock lands would be enough reason for many people to show up, but that's not what they want. They also wouldn't be particularly fun, and balance is secondary to fun in this game.

Quote from urzassedatives

Also, they would likely be mythic as well...which restricts the set's mythics quite a bit.
Alara had 5 mythic legends, 5 mythic nonlegends for each shard.
I can expect something similar here, leaving 3 mythics that aren't necessarily aligned with a guild.

I can't see the prerelease promo being too swingy, due to the fact that it is something everyone can run in their decks.

I don't think it'll be a problem, for swingyness, especially when you consider that everyone's Sealed pools will be skewed towards guild choice. In other words, everyone will have a potential bomb; Sealed pools and variance will make up for the rest.

That said, as to the promo itself, they can just follow a similar structure to last time:

- One mythic legendary for each guild. (The guildleader. E.G. Rakdos the Defiler)
- One rare legendary for each guild. (The "champion". E.G. Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran)

The latter would, naturally, function as the prerelease guild promo. It makes me think that they'll function similarly to last time as well, in that it rewards you for playing your guild's colors. (Hopefully, Creative will keep it stricter on which card does which function; guild leaders and "champions" mixed and matched as to who provided the synergistic abilities with the guild colors, rather than making just one of the two groups of legendaries more about the color love and the other the "identity" love. In other words, make the guild leaders all a "tight cycle", Creative speaking, and the champions the loose cycle, or vice-versa.)

This is AWESOME!
This'll be the first pre-release I've ever cared enough about to go to. Golgari, then Simic, definitely.

Quote from necrogenesis

Right. That's what I meant but didn't type it correctly. But then, after thinking about it, I started wondering if the promos would be legendary at all. Seems like there is a lot of potential for mirror matches this pre-release. With so many duplicate cards, the Legend rule might come into play and that doesn't seem too fun.

In this case, I really don't think he was. The discussion wasn't about shock lands or Ravnica in particular, but about pre-release promo cards in general. Here are a couple things he said:

http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/25664062865/i-was-wondering-if-you-knew-how-the-pre-release-promo

http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/25769582291/i-think-you-are-not-completely-right-about-players

Shock lands would be enough reason for many people to show up, but that's not what they want. They also wouldn't be particularly fun, and balance is secondary to fun in this game.

The best way to do that would be to keep the contents of the guild packs a secret until the pre-release along with the pre-release card.

I'm Excited about this block, I was pumped about Zendikar block (it was my second block and it was amazing who didn't like it) but after that I hadn't been enthoused about the block. The art is just stunning I can't complain. I believe that the Guild lords will be Mythics normally there is 15 mythics so look at it. THe champion's will be stuff like the Intro Pack rares.

Azorius Senate: Hesperia and another Guy as the Champion.
Golgari Swarm: Jared, Golgari Lich Lord and another Guy as the Champion.
Izzet League: Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind's new card and another guy as the champion.
Cult of Rakdos: Rakdos the Defiler's new card and Izolda as the champion.
Selesnya Conclave: The Chorus of the Conclave's new card and another guy as the champion.

Then for the Planeswalkers we will have two. So far 5+2=7
Now we will have a Mythic for each color 7+5=12 and with a Artifact Mythic 12+1=13 We have our goal.

I am way too excited for this pre-release. Also, it has been 4 years since Zendikar's release. What I'm getting at is the possibility of there being FULL ART LAND. For those who don't follow:

Unglued, then four years later...
Unhinged, then four years later...
Zendikar, then four years later...
Return To Ravnica.

If this proves to be false, then one man can dream.

Quote from Drax

I am way too excited for this pre-release. Also, it has been 4 years since Zendikar's release. What I'm getting at is the possibility of there being FULL ART LAND. For those who don't follow:

Unglued, then four years later...
Unhinged, then four years later...
Zendikar, then four years later...
Return To Ravnica.

If this proves to be false, then one man can dream.

It'll be 3 years in October..

Quote from ablock

It'll be 3 years in October..

A MAN CAN DREAM AND GET HIS SIMPLE MATHEMATICS WRONG.

Quote from Drax

A MAN CAN DREAM AND GET HIS SIMPLE MATHEMATICS WRONG.

It's okay, I'm hoping just as hard as you. Ravnica basics have always been my favorite.

anybody know the promos they were giving out during the panel?

In really excited for the new mechanics. I hope they are all good; it'll be hard to make a Dredge like mechanic without people complaining however.

I personally believe we will be seeing old legendary creatures from Ravnica like Niv and the Ghost Council, however they will have new, updated abilities, similar to how we have planeswalkers with different card abilities yet they are the same people. This would be a great way of having old favorites return and keep things new and on power level a well.

The Ghost Council artwork looks amazing!

Quote from Master Moja

The Ghost Council artwork looks amazing!

Yeah, I'm definitely glad they're getting another go-
Ghost Council of Orzhova were pretty much neutered by M10 rules

Quote from Drax

I am way too excited for this pre-release. Also, it has been 4 years since Zendikar's release. What I'm getting at is the possibility of there being FULL ART LAND. For those who don't follow:

Unglued, then four years later...
Unhinged, then four years later...
Zendikar, then four years later...
Return To Ravnica.

If this proves to be false, then one man can dream.

i agree that that'd be amazing BUT the land art they previewed (which isn't in the OP for some reason) looks like it's in the right proportions for a regular card

Just to point out some of the neat things going in to this particular split of guilds...

- Each large set gets exactly two guilds per colour
- Each set is as close as possible to an even split between enemy / ally guilds (2/3 and 3/2 respectively)
- Each set has at least one guild from each of the three original Ravnica sets
- The fast guilds (Boros, Rakdos, Gruul) are spread out
- The slow guilds (Azorius, Orzhov) are spread out

Quote from Savia

- The fast guilds (Boros, Rakdos, Gruul) are spread out
- The slow guilds (Azorius, Orzhov) are spread out

I had noticied everything you had said, except for the two above statements.

Anyone else have speculations or hopes for the other two planeswalkers? I'm hoping for, but probably won't get, a Rakdos Tibalt. He seems like he would fit right in, causing pain for fun, and they sorta screwed him treating him as an experimental 2 mana. He's be good if his abilities cost one less each, or two less each and he was 3 mana. Any other thoughts besides Jace and Gideon?

Could we possibly see Kiora in Ravnica? We have one promotional picture suggestive of a Boros Gideon, but the others may not necessarily conform to a guild's colors.